JandDW2011's biography
We both marched in the band at East Carolina University. He was second bass on the drumline and I was a member of the colorguard. We were acquaintances for about a year and a half. I said hey to him every time I saw him at practice. He was always friendly but never actually knew my name. At the end of October 2007 he IMed me one night. We sat and talked for alittle while. The next day ECU's band was performing in exhibition at Havelock High School. He asked if I would hang out with him during our four hour break between performances. I said sure thinking he would forget and we wouldn't actually hang out. To my surprise he came looking for me. The two of us and another couple went to Atlantic Beach during our break just to hang out and kill some time. We clicked instantly. Our first official date was the next day. We went to lunch at Mongolian Empire. We officially became a couple two days later on November 6, 2007.
Our engagement occurred three years to the day from when we became official. We took a weekend trip to Daytona Beach. I had already fallen asleep when Doug put the ring on my finger. I woke up at 6:00 a.m. freaking out because my finger was swollen and was really tight. I thought what is this thing on my finger and why does it feel sooo tight?!?!? I woke Doug up quickly and said what is wrong with my finger?? That's when he replied, "Will you wake up next to me everyday for the rest of your life??" I said, "Absolutely!!!!!!" We stayed up to watch the sunrise before he fell back to sleep and I called everyone!
Tonight we sat down and decided on a date! July 30, 2011 is our day! We still have to find a venue and everything.
The summer months work best as I am a high school English teacher. We are planning to be married and back from our honeymoon before school starts in mid to late August. I am soooooo unbelievably happy!
I had originally thought our colors would be mine and Doug's favorite colors. Those are blue and pink. Needless to say we are not doing that because those were my sisters colors. We have decided on blue, green and purple with accents of champagne. I am still looking for pictures of these colors and I will post them when I do.
The official names are navy, clover, eggplant/lapis and champagne.
I had a hard time narrowing down my bridal party!!! I have picked my 6 closest and best friends.
Matron of Honor (MOH)--- My sister Ashley (Johnsgirl0310) is my MOH! I was her MOH in her wedding! I don't know what I would do without her! I am so glad she agreed!!! She has been super helpful in the wedding process thus far.
Bridesmaids---
Katie ---Her and I went to college and graduated together! She is super fun and lives in Chicago. We both got our degrees in English Education. Her and I got very close over the last two years. She is a great friend.
Krysten --- Krysten and I have been friends since 9th grade. We met in our freshman health class. We really clicked our sophomore year during marching band as we both were on the colorguard. We have had our ups and downs but that has only made our friendship stronger. She is getting married in June 2012 and I am her MOH. Check her out at keholmes.
Alex --- Alex and I have been friends since the 4th grade when both of our dads were in the Navy and we lived in California. During the 7th grade, we coincidentally moved to Jacksonville, Florida as both of our dads got stationed at NAS Jax. Even though we don't talk everyday, it still seems as though we just pick up where we left off when we do talk!
Hayley--- Hayley and I have been friends since freshman year of college. We were both members of the East Carolina University Marching Pirates colorguard. We were also roommates. She is a blast to be around!
Katie --- Katie and I met at ECU. She was becoming a member of an organization I was involved with at the time. Her and I clicked immediately and have remained friends since then!
I am so thrilled that all of my girls said yes! I love them!!!!
I ordered sample paper from paperandmore.com. I wasn't thrilled with the shade of purple I received, but I decided to put a sample invitation together anyway just to see how it looks. In the picture it is more purple, but in person it has more of a maroon color to it. I have ordered another shade of purple from a different site and should be receiving it on Monday.
I have really been going back and forth on my invitation design since I last posted about them. My sister shared this fabulous design and it has now become my inspiration!
Thanks its.nicsknack
for the inspiration!!!! =)
Edit:: Our paper and pocketfolds came from paperandmore.com. We designed them through microsoft publisher and printed them on our home computer. I bought enough paper to do about 100 invitations. Total for all paper and envelopes it was about $220.
Here are the invitations finished!!!! =) They are just sitting in a box now waiting to be sent in May!
We (my mother and I) have created mock centerpieces.
We will use to short cylinder vases with flowers and in the middle we will use a taller cylinder vase as the table number.
The pictures posted below are just trial runs. We wanted to see how it looked and test out the decobeads. These things are the coolest! They are beads that absorb water and look super cool! We have decided to use these instead of filling every vase with water. I have already ordered clear and purple ones!
Please remember the flowers in the vase are NOT the ones we will be using.
I know its hard to get the whole picture when they are in separate pieces but it will be amazing when it is all said and done.
I recently tried out the table numbers. I think I really like them! I love love the new look I think they are much more elegant than the ones I had originally done!
Before:
After:
I bought some flowers to play with this weekend for centerpieces. Since I couldn't buy purple carnations at Publix, these had to work. I love love love them!
Here are the other dresses I tried on! They just didn't compare!
I was pointing out that I felt like I had fish gills
I felt like the michelin man in this one even though it was very pretty!
I have decided on bridesmaids dresses. They are from Alfred Angelo. Since we have 3 colors and I have 6 people in my bridal party, 2 will be in clover green, 2 in navy blue and 2 in lapis/eggplant (purple)! The groomsmen will be color coordinated!!!
We only looked at two possible venues before choosing. The first one we absolutely loved!!!!! The other in Tampa we weren't so impressed with. On our way up to North Carolina for Thanksgiving, we made it official! We are getting married at Harmony Golf Preserve!!!!!
here is the link: http://www.harmonygolfpreserve.com/index.php
When I put our deposit down Tuesday I will take pictures!!
We are sooo excited and it sure is a relief to have it picked out!
The town square where we will be having our ceremony. It is beautiful when everything is in full bloom!
Our cocktail hour will be out on the veranda. It is very romantic when lit up in the evening
Our Reception will take place in the Grand Ballroom (They were getting ready to set up for a holiday party)
I booked our honeymoon!!! WOOHOOO!!!
We are cruising the Western Caribbean for 7 days with Carnival Cruise lines!!! We are thrilled!
Here is our itinerary:
7/31/2011 Tampa, FL 4:00 PM
Tampa, FL - What's the attraction in Tampa? How about the Southeast's largest wooden double roller coaster where the cars pass inches in front of each other at crossing speeds of 100 mph? Or maybe it's the 300 acres of animal exhibits, entertainment and thrill rides. Tampa's world-famous Busch Gardens attracts millions of visitors every year and, with all that it has to offer, it's no wonder.
Cozumel, Mexico - Long before Cancun became a popular destination, Cozumel was well-known as a diving spot and home to the world famous Palancar Reef, which gives divers the opportunity to view thousands of brilliantly colored fish. Non-divers can kick back on a sun-drenched beach, or enjoy any number of seaside activities, such as shopping in colorful marketplaces or dining in an open-air café.
Belize - This tropical paradise promises adventure, both onshore and off. Crystalline rivers flow through impressive lowland jungles, home to a myriad of rare wildlife. Silky sand beaches, waving palms and colorful coral gardens are just part of Belize's natural wonders. Whether mountain biking through a lush rainforest or snorkeling with sharks, you'll experience things you've only imagined.
Isla Roatan - Mahogany Bay is located on the southwest coast of the island of Roatan - about 40 miles off the north coast of Honduras - and is part of the Bay Islands, which also include Guanaja and Utila. Known for its crystal-clear water, blue skies and warm sun, Roatan is the perfect place for swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and sightseeing from the Magical Flying Beach Chair. Explore the exotic, undeveloped East End of Roatan with a narrated trip aboard an island-style boat. Learn about the island's history, meet the local Garifuna people and sample delicious jams from locally grown flowers and fruits.
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, kissed by sparkling, turquoise waters, is a dream come true for water sports enthusiasts. You can snorkel with stingrays, go scuba diving, sail a catamaran, take in some sport fishing, or just mellow out along the powder-soft sand of the magnificent Seven Mile Beach. While you're there, don't forget to visit Hell, which is devilishly popular with senders of postcards.
Tampa, FL - What's the attraction in Tampa? How about the Southeast's largest wooden double roller coaster where the cars pass inches in front of each other at crossing speeds of 100 mph? Or maybe it's the 300 acres of animal exhibits, entertainment and thrill rides. Tampa's world-famous Busch Gardens attracts millions of visitors every year and, with all that it has to offer, it's no wonder.
We have chosen our DJ!!!!
I am so thrilled! We decided to go with Chrisanne Jensen at Crystal Lake Productions. She is absolutely fabulous! I had contacted her several weeks ago about her pricing. I spoke with her on the phone and she was very friendly. It wasn't until I read her incredible reviews here on Project Wedding and had a disappointing meeting with another DJ the Friday before that I decided to meet with her. I wanted to write the check then and there, but I am a weirdo about decisions like this, so I decided to speak with my mother on the way home and my fiance to make sure we were all on the same page. Sure enough we were and I booked her =)
Here is the link to her website!
I went for my hair trial and here are the results! I love it!
My mother and I made pomanders that will line the aisle on our wedding day. We made blue, purple and champagne. They started out relatively small but got bigger as we continued to make them. We are debating making two more blue ones so they will be as big as the others. We have 10 so far.
Directions: My mom and I cut tissue papers into about 8x8 squares, they may have been smaller and not exact measurements, fan folded them and then stuck them into the styrofoam ball with a pin. We dipped the sewing pin in glue to make sure it stuck! Once we covered the ball, we fanned out the folded tissue paper. It was super easy but time consuming!
My first DIY was the tears of joy packets. We made 60 of them and they turned out really well! We were going to follow the directions that someone posted her on PW, but we decided to take an easier route and not really follow specific measurements.
These shoes are from David's Bridal and dyed in Lapis
I decided to go with a low wedge for my shoes since FI and I are about the same height and I didn't want to tower over him on our wedding day. I had them dyed lapis.
We have decided on a photographer!!!
We are going with Abba Photography. This was the second company we met with. The first photographer or photographers secretary (I should say) meeting was very disappointing. I met with that particular company because of one photo that was taken at my venue that I fell in love with. Needless to say you can't judge the quality of an image in hopes of great service. I set up the meeting with the actual photographer. I had to push the time back that day and he said okay that is fine. I had to meet with the secretary because he had another appointment.
Abba photography is a husband and wife team. They are super nice and very flexible. They were running a discount at the time of our booking so that was a plus!
Here is their website!
http://www.abbaphotography.com/Wedding_Photography.html
Post wedding: We were soooo unbelievably happy with their work!! They are fabulous and really capture the love and happiness of our wedding =)
I decided to go for something a little different than what everyone normally does with the tiered boxes. I decided I was going to use a square glass vase! I love it. Although it is simple, I find it very elegant and classy.
Directions: I downloaded the young love font from the internet and designed this in microsoft word. Once printed I glued purple cardstock to act as a backing and put a few rhinestones on it. I then put a ribbon around the etire vase with elmers glue.
We sent out our save the dates last week! Everyone I have talked to loves them!!
***please excuse the picture quality
Looking back I wish I would have gone with my original thought of STDs. I wanted to do a larger magnet with a few more pictures on it or well just a larger magnet. I didn't because vistaprint was running a special. I seriously contemplated redoing them but everyone said they loved them!
I ordered our cake topper from Crafty Eddy. He sent me a picture of what it will look like and I can't wait to get it! I love it!!!
I have since decorated it!!!
I had a really hard time deciding what to do for a guestbook! I saw lots of good ideas, but I wasn't thrilled about them until.....
I found a guestbook puzzle on google! I fell in love! I then did some research on the price and was floored! They range from $100-$500!!!!
I emailed Crafty Eddy and he said, "Oh yeah I can do that for you for $40!!! $40 ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEE!!! I jumped right on that!!!
The pieces are big enough for the guests to write on!!!
Here it is:
Edit:: Our guestbook sign will read as follows (courtesy of my dad)
This is our Guestbook; please don’t think its lame
It turns into a puzzle that we’ll put in a frame
We thought our idea was really quite clever
To serve as a keepsake that we will cherish forever
I wanted something different! I didn't want to walk down a white aisle! I decided I wanted it to be purple. I thought long and hard about how to make it purple. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it! I finally decided to buy some purple rit dye and see how it worked.
Here is the sample:
I love love loved it! I bought enough to do the entire runner. It turned out lighter than the sample we made
I went back and forth about whether or not I should dye it again. FI said he liked the lighter one because the dark color looked dirty! I thought okay!!! Light it is!
I finished it today!!!
Here is the finished product!:
I have been looking around for a while at potential menu ideas and ordering them from someone/some place. My mother got on microsoft publisher and we created one together. They are all printed and just have to be cut. We did three to a page. I am very pleased with how they turned out!
We decided to make fan programs!! I am very pleased at how they turned out!! Who knew paper crafts could be soo beautiful heehee =)
I decided to take on another project and that was personalized water bottle labels. I figured handing out water would be a nice touch since we are getting married outside in July in Orlando, Fl. The nutrition facts are my favorite!
We are doing the sand ceremony. I am very excited about it! I bought this vase at michaels and had it etched at Things Remembered for about $20.00!
I had originally planned on doing a seating chart...I even thought I had that conversation with FI but obviously it happened in my head or with my mother and sister because he looked at me like I was crazy the other day when I brought it up. We are doing place cards. Sunday I posted that I needed help and I got some wonderful ideas! I already had the embosser used in the inspiration picture so I thought I would try it out. I also bought another one today to try out to see what I like better!
Below is the inspiration that one of you lovely ladies posted:
Here is what mine will look like. Please keep in mind that it is kind of a rough draft...
UPDATE:: Here is the final product of our place cards. I decided to use a different embossing template
I had originally decided I was going to make our wedding favors, but it ended up being more expensive then planned! We are giving coasters and FI really really loved the ones we ended up ordering and they were cheaper than making them! We are also including a thank you note in the form of a poem I got my dad to write.
The poem says:
You’re here at our wedding and you see this nice coaster
Thinking you should have bought Doug and Jessie a toaster
Your attendance today was all that was asked
So please take me home and put me under a glass
We thank you for coming, our vows you did hear
We wanted to thank you, our friends all so dear
So this, a small token about us you will think
Everytime you sit down for a frosty, cold drink
My wonderful meemaw made my garters! They are fabulous!! The inside has a small pocket with W and 7-30-11 embroidered in it. The pocket has two pennies one with my birth year and the other with DH's birth year and a sixpence
This is mine:
The throw away garter:
I had my first fitting and my dress is still perfect!!!!
All I have to get done is my bustle and sew cups into my dress
UPDATE!!!!
I went for my final fitting on June 3! Everything is still perfect! Now I just have to take it back 2 weeks before the wedding to get it steamed!! WOOHOOOO
Newest Update!
I took my dress on July 10 to get steamed and cleaned. I put it on and it was almost an entire size too big! They are having to take it in again!!!! I burst into tears because it was too big and everyone thought I was crazy! I pick it up on July 22nd
FI opted for a more simple band and we found a great deal on my 1/2 ct eternity band. His band is from Sam's club and mine is from the Navy Exchange (like my e-ring).
Mine:
His:
My shower and Bach party was Saturday and oh my gosh it was a blast! I am going to do a quick recap but without pictures because I'm in Texas this week and my pictures are in Orlando unless I figure out how to get them from facebook.
Bridal shower--- my sister did an absolutely fabulous job planning with my other girls! Everyone was told to bring a church hat as that was the theme. She got me a white one and added flowers and ribbon to it. We played the toilet paper wedding dress game, 'staches and tiaras where the guests had to figure out if I answered the question or Fi did, pass the Teddy where we were told who ever it lands on has to model the outfit....well it obviously landed on me and when I opened it there was a Teddy bear wearing a wedding dress inside. Super cute! We played who am I where everyone had a card taped to their backs with a famous name on it, we could only ask yes or no questions to figure it out....I ended up being pocohantas. There were lots of gifts! My girls put together a scrapbook for me, gave us our cake surfer set and toasting flutes. Our serving set was engraved with our name and the date as July 30, 3011!!!! it made for a good laugh and was a running joke that night. My sister got it fixed! One of my girls got me a jacket with our name and date embroidered on it. The food was wonderful. We had quiche, fruit tray, sandwich tray, punch and cupcakes.
Bachelorette party----we had to improvise a little! The original plan was to go to universal city walk but with the torrential rain we went to howl at the moon!!! I'm sure glad we made the switch! We drank, carried on, danced on the stage, sang and had the best time!!! it was such a blast :-) one of my girls bought me a blow job shot, another got me a pink panty dropper shot, two buttery nipples, a coach one of my girls played volleyball against bought us a pineapple upside down shot, we had two bucket drinks and two hello shot syringes! On the way home we stopped at mcdonalds for nuggets and then had penis cake at home!!!! It was soooooooooo much fun!
I can finally post my bridesmaid's gifts now that I have given them!
They got a tote bag, pashmina, their jewelry, a personalized hanger, a shirt and tissues with their monogram
My fabulous sister (MOH) made the jewelry for all of my girls!
This is what my sister will be wearing
The rest of the jewelry
We decided on our vows quite some time ago but I never got around to posting them. We made it so that you just have to interchange our names. We combined them from several different sets of vows we found!
I (Name) love you. You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage in front of God and these witnesses.
I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you,
and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to be silly
with you as we grow old together.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always
hold you in highest regard
These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.
My mom is making our cakes for the wedding
Mine will look like this, minus the colors. It will all be off white.
it will sit on this cake stand and I am sooo excited!
FI's cake will be a guitar hero guitar replica
